!!! Why i love 3d shoots !!!

Okay here it goes at writing something about what I like to do on the off season.

First I'm know writer so this article might suck, so if your are reading this please be nice about your comments, and hear we go.

Why I like to shoot 3D in the off season:

In Minnesota where I'm from 3D season starts usually the first weekend in April and goes untill the weekend before archery season. Which is the 2nd weekend in September. So for this year the weather has been pretty nice on us for the shoots. Usually the first weekends are cold, rainy, and damp. Then they start to get alittle sticky and buggy. Then towards the end they just get down right HOT and BUGGY , but thats okay.

Most of the shoots are outside, there are a couple indoors. The outside ones are great. These are my favorite, but they can take sometime. Typically about 2 hours. There are 30 targets to shoot at, and the targets are anywhere from toads, bears, elk to giant mosquites, and even some times there are dinasours. The targets get a little outragous but you still have to hit them in the right spot to get the max points. Point range from 12, 10, 8, 5 and a big fat zero. Sometimes there is a 14 ring. Scoring at most is easy there are rings. A heart shot is the 12 ring. Typically its a cicrle about 1"1/2 in diameter. Then the 10 ring is slitly bigger. The 8 ring is the total vital area. Then the 5 spot in anywhere on the animal. Except in the hunters round if you are not in the vitals its a -5 point decution or a zero.

Then there are different stakes to shoot at. There is the kids stake which range from 5 yards to sometimes 20 yards. These are usually white stakes. Then there is the yellow or red stakes. These are the stakes for the hunters. They range from 10 yards to sometimes 40 yards. Finally there are the orange stakes. These are the money stakes. The people that typically shoot from these are playing to win the pot. The stakes range from 18 yards to I've seen up to 65 yards.

The cost to shoot the 3D is around $10.00. The situtions that they put the targets in are usually hunting situtions, but I have been to some that the way they place the target or at what elavation your are at I would not take the shot in a real hunting spot. When I go to the shoots, I shoot with at least 2 - 4 other people. All about the same skill level. We've shot of of tree stands, bridges, sitting on a chair, and even a barrel tied up at both ends to be like shooting of a horse. They put trees in the way so you can't hit the 12 or 10 spot, and put up metal targets so that if you do miss the vitals everyone that is close to you will hear the big clank!!

We shoot two different ways. Right or wrong its how ever you want to call it. Most of the time we shoot the hunters round. Unknow distance from the stake no range finders. After everyone in the group has shot we say what we shot it at and step it off to see who was the closest. This really helps to judge distance in the field. The other way is, we shoot from the money stakes, but we use the range finder. So we know the distance, but if you are only shooting with 3 pins (20, 30, 40) its still pretty tough to hold on a 47 yard or a 52 yard shot when you only have a pin that is on at 40 yards. Sometimes I do better if I don't know the distance then if I do. One area we go to after the 3D round there in the known distance round. That you pay another 5- 10 bucks, you shoot at known distances and the one with the top score wins the pot for the weekend. (I personnely have never won)

We never play for money we just like to bow hunt and like to get together and shoot. Now we might play for loser buys on last target, but thats a different story. If you have never done a 3d shoot I highly recommed you do. Either to just have fun with your family or buddies, or to help you with ranging and just getting better in shooting. Its alot of fun and I dont think you will be disapointed. Also when you hit the target and your buddy over shoots or you hear that clank you can laugh at them all you want (but just remember its pay back when you miss)

So thats my story and I hope you like reading it, and get out there and shoot.

That's a nice write up and informative. I am probably going to start shooting 3D this summer.

Thank you for the nice feed back. I believe that you will have alot of fun doing it. Don't know where you are from, but if it gets buggy remember the bug spray. Also food for thought get you else some silicone or some woodys. Its a gel or liquid base to put on the tip of your arrow for easy pulling out of the targets.